The Great Hall
Dining was not simply about food in the late medieval period. As members of the city elite, the Snawsells would have been expected to host regular feasts. These events would be meticulously planned. The menu was a way to show off wealth and taste.
When hosting a lavish feast, a great many animals would have been served as food here in the Great Hall. Some you might have expected, like beef, pork and mutton from cows, pigs and sheep. Thanks to the two rivers running through York, fish made up a large part of the diet, and would have been served baked, broiled or fried. Rabbits were introduced to Britain by the Normans to be farmed for meat and fur. As well as chicken, other birds would have graced the table, such as roast partridge, pheasants, pigeons and woodcocks. For special occasions, more exotic fare could be included.
Medieval people ate a variety of fish, including saltwater herring and cod, and freshwater trout and carp. In medieval York, the seafish market was on Fossgate, whilst freshwater fish were sold at the eastern end of Ouse bridge. Whales were once called the ‘King’s Fish’ because a portion of each whale caught or scavenged had to be given to the king. They were a high status food, and could be eaten during periods of fasting as they were considered to be fish.
